"Best ruleset for handling large and small games?" Topic

Hi Guys

Please be gentle as I am new in this section. I am really a WW2 treadhead nut .

So here's the deal . Around 5 years ago when Black Powder was first introduced around 5 of us started playing Naps. The problem was we couldn't find a set of wargames rules that satisfied us as regards flavour of the period .Our chairmen felt that many of the exisiting rules at the time tend to collapse when tried with big games . Big games I don't mean grand tactical but games with figures in excess of 1000 per side .

Obviously time has passed and we all wish to dust off our Naps to avoid WW2 burnout .

So I am looking for recommendation for a rules set as there appears to be now quite many on the market .

Cheers Chaps

Forgot to add . We are 28s as regards scale .

Field of Battle – Piquet 'light'. Handles big (40+ units) and small games (12 – 20 units); one on one or multi-player games. Unlike 'classic Piquet' initiative is the same for both sides. Very good fun.

You also might try Grand Armee. (or its brother Fast Play Grand Armee)

Voley and Bayonet

DBN

Both can handle lots of units though, like Grande Armee, these are elements. You don't change formation really.

Whatever you choose, remember that the game should be on the simple and straight forward side. If you have 1000 figures per side (40+ units assuming 25 man units) you will be making calculations for all of those fights per turn.

Le Petit Empereur for quick play.

Why not Black Powder? Since it is a sandbox game it should be scaleable?

We have used Napoleon at War for large games like the ones you described.

The maneuver element is still the battalion (inf) or regiment (cav), we just have many of them on the table.

We did the whole battle of Quatre Bras, with everything on it… every unit was there.. We started around 11AM and finished by 6-7PM. The game had a clear resolution, tactical victory for the French. It was fought all the way to the end, if the Brunswick contingent had managed a bit better there would have been an allied marginal victory..

You can see the pictures here and the report here..

link

Each player was commanding a few brigades…

Francisco

Have you looked at rank and file? By crusader games?

I would agree with those who said Grand Armee.

Rank and file is scalable from 200-2000 men per unit.

Thanks for your suggestions so far guys. You all have given me( us) something to think about .

Our group uses Shako 2 and we have done very large games including Wagram, Borodino, Austerlitz, Eylau.

Dear mysteron,

Please check your private messages – I sent one to you earlier.

Some rules don`t represent c3 very well and some have wild inconsistencies in time and ground scales and so are inappropriate for anything other than lining soldiers up on either side, just moving forward and slugging it out.

If C3 and scales are reasonably consistent you have the ability to recreate actions of all sizes…

This is an important point and I apologize if you`ve heard me bang on about this before, but these conditions are necessary to place the player in the place of an historical commander with realistic and historical options and choices.

For more information please check out my site at:
grandmanoeuvre.co.uk
…see the section "about GM" – there other freebies and goodies there too.

IF anyone tries DBN they will find that:

1. You need a Printer to use any of the PDFs on sale at their site. Not a printer a Office Max where you can take copied PDFs and have them printer but a physical printer tied to you system. A waste of money to buy from their site.

2. Hard copies of their scenario book contain primarily material that is free on their site.